Courage and surfing are inseparable. To improve at surfing, you need courage. But fear and surfing also go hand in hand, like pitch and brimstone. To grow as a surfer, you must learn to face your fear in the water\u2014easier said than done.
I believe the first step is to understand what happens in your brain and body when you\u2019re faced with a threat. That\u2019s why the first part of this blog post provides key insights into this process. In the second part, you\u2019ll find practical tips to help you manage fear. <\/p>\n\n
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Our central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord and serves as the body’s processing center. Its three main tasks are: receiving information from our five senses, processing it, and sending motor instructions to the body. <\/p>\n\n
Then there\u2019s the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which includes all the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Its primary role is to transmit information to the brain and execute brain commands. Within the PNS, we\u2019re particularly interested in the autonomic nervous system, which consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. But why is it called the “autonomic nervous system”? Because it controls unconscious processes in the body, such as digestion, heartbeat, and more. <\/p>\n\n
Why does this matter? Because these two systems play a key role in our anxiety and fear while surfing\u2014and, importantly, they are systems we can learn to influence. <\/p>\n\n
The sympathetic nervous system is the performance-enhancing system that prepares your body for mental and physical exertion. Your heartbeat becomes faster and stronger, your breathing quickens, and your focus sharpens. Meanwhile, functions that aren\u2019t immediately necessary\u2014such as digestion\u2014are temporarily inhibited. This is the “fight or flight” branch of the autonomic nervous system. <\/p>\n\n
The parasympathetic nervous system is the antagonist of the sympathetic nervous system. As the “rest and digest” branch of the autonomic nervous system, it regulates bodily functions when we are at rest. It promotes relaxation, activates digestion, and stimulates various metabolic processes. <\/p>\n\n
When we feel nervous or anxious while surfing, it makes sense to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to help calm the sympathetic nervous system.<\/p>\n\n
But why does the sympathetic nervous system become so active when we experience fear? Where does this response come from? This is where the brain comes into play. <\/p>\n\n
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All the information we perceive through our senses is passed on to the brain\u2014first to the thalamus, which acts as our gatekeeper or filter. This part of the brain decides which information is important and should be passed on, and which can be ignored. <\/p>\n\n
If something is perceived as dangerous, it is immediately flagged as important and sent to the amygdala\u2014our inner alarm system. When the amygdala detects danger, it triggers a series of reactions, including our fear response: Flight, Fight, Freeze, Fawn, or Flop. <\/p>\n\n
Flight<\/strong>: Can I escape the danger by fleeing?<\/p>\n\n Fight<\/strong>: Can I overpower or fight the danger?<\/p>\n\n Freeze<\/strong>: Can I avoid danger by staying still (e.g., does a lion lose interest in an antelope that appears dead)?<\/p>\n\n Our brain instinctively selects the response it believes is best for the situation and activates the sympathetic nervous system, which then triggers the physical reactions described earlier. All of this happens unconsciously and in an instant\u2014because it has to. <\/p>\n\n However, in some situations, this reaction can be disproportionately strong compared to the actual danger. That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial to retrain our brain and nervous system to assess threats more realistically and respond appropriately. <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Reframing:<\/strong> What scares you scares you because of the meaning you attach to it\u2014you perceive the situation as dangerous. To change your fear response, you need to change the meaning you give to that situation. This process is called reframing. In simple terms, reframing means looking at a situations from a different perspective and giving it a new meaning<\/em><\/strong>. If a situation is no longer perceived as highly dangerous, the amygdala won\u2019t react as intensely\u2014like a bee sting setting off an alarm\u2014and the sympathetic nervous system will remain calmer. <\/p>\n\n Activate the parasympathetic nervous system<\/strong>: Engage in activities that support the parasympathetic nervous system. This helps calm the sympathetic nervous system, allowing your entire nervous system to settle and become less agitated. <\/p>\n\n Habituation \/ Desensitization<\/strong>: The more we expose ourselves to situations we fear, the more we become accustomed to them\u2014as long as they remain within our skill level. For example, if we want to surf bigger waves, we progress gradually, increasing wave size step by step and only moving to the next level once we feel reasonably comfortable with the current one. <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n First things first: there\u2019s no single exercise that you can do once to eliminate fear or stop your freeze response instantly. Retraining your brain and nervous system takes time, patience, and consistency\u2014you have to put in the work! <\/p>\n\n Here are some exercises you can do:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Choose a situation that scares you and write it down on a piece of paper. Reimagine the situation: How could you perceive or approach it differently? <\/p>\n\n Decide what thoughts and feelings you\u2019d like to have instead. How would the situation change if you experienced it with this new mindset, thoughts and feelings? Write down this new version of the situation, incorporating the thoughts and feelings you want to cultivate. <\/p>\n\n Finally, Let\u2019s Get Creative! Now, take it a step further\u2014make the situation fun and absurd. Imagine a rainbow-colored wave with a big smile, cotton-soft water, or that you can breathe underwater like a fish. Maybe there are funny fish making jokes around you\u2014whatever makes it lighthearted and playful! <\/p>\n\n For the next few weeks, visualize both versions of the situation every day: Why does this work? Your goal is to teach your brain that the situation isn\u2019t as dangerous as it thinks. By repeatedly layering positive experiences over the negative one, the old fear-based thoughts and feelings start to fade. Over time, the new thoughts and emotions become stronger and more natural. This works because your brain doesn\u2019t distinguish between real experiences and vividly imagined ones. When you visualize intensely, your brain treats it as a real experience \u2014 rewiring your response and shaping a new reality. <\/p>\n\n Do regular calming breathing exercises. For example, box breathing or \u201cbreathe out longer than you breathe in\u201d (count to 4 on the inhale and 7 on the exhale, repeat 11 times). I explained the technique in this box breathing instagram video <\/a>. Why breathing exercises? Calming breathing has a direct influence on the parasympathetic nervous system. You always have your breath with you \ud83d\ude09. And if you want to do guided breathing exercises, you can find lots of videos on YouTube. Or take a look at my sister’s homepage. You can find three guided breathing exercises in her online store. HERE you can find three guided breathing exercises in her online store. When you feel anxious, your thoughts are usually stuck in the past or future. To calm yourself, bring your focus back to the present by engaging your five senses: Listen to music that soothes and calms you. As you listen, visualize a beautiful memory or a peaceful, calming landscape. While in the water, you can mentally play a calming song to help you relax. If you feel comfortable and no one is nearby, you might even hum the tune softly to reinforce the sense of calm. <\/p>\n\n Shift your attention to your feet and feel your connection to the ground. Notice how you\u2019re standing: Are you stable or slightly swaying? Is the surface uneven or flat? Cold or warm? Imagine strengthening energy flowing up from the ground into your body. In the water, ground yourself through your board. Feel it as your safe and solid platform, guiding you wherever you want to go. <\/p>\n\n Fitness for body and lungs<\/strong>: When your body is strong and fit, you naturally feel safer in the water. Ramona from Surf Fitness Online offers a great 6-week Surf-Fit course to help build your strength and endurance. You’ll find the link further below. Additionally, training your lungs can boost your confidence. When you know you can hold your breath longer underwater and breathe efficiently while paddling, your nervous system will feel more at ease. Taking a surf apnea course is another great way to improve your breath control and overall water confidence. <\/p>\n\n If you are constantly stressed, sleep too little, work too much, or always keep yourself busy, your nervous system never truly gets a chance to calm down\u2014it stays in a constant state of high alert. Take a step back and see where you can bring more calmness into your life. Give yourself permission to slow down and take intentional breaks to relax. Also, reflect on whether you feel genuinely happy in your life or if there are areas that need change. <\/p>\n\n As I mentioned, repetition over time is key. I find that the easiest place to start is with the breath. Make it a habit to practice calming breathing techniques regularly over several months and integrate conscious breathing into your daily life. <\/strong> Just 10 minutes a day<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n Would you like online coaching to create a personalized mental training plan? Or do you have a mental block, such as fear or low self-confidence, that\u2019s holding you back in surfing? <\/p>\n\nWhat can you do to calm your nervous system and transform your fear when surfing?<\/h2>\n\n
Exercises to Overcome Your Fear of Surfing and Freeze Response<\/h3>\n\n
Exercise #<\/strong>1 – The “The-Instead-Visualization” (Reframing): <\/h4>\n\n
Exercise #<\/strong>2 – Breathing (acitvate the parasympathetic nervous system): <\/h4>\n\n
Exercise #<\/strong>3 – Being in the present moment using your senses (acitvate the parasympathetic nervous system): <\/h4>\n\n
Exercise #<\/strong>4 – music to calm you down (acitvate the parasympathetic nervous system): <\/h4>\n\n
Exercise #<\/strong>5 – Grounding (acitvate the parasympathetic nervous system): <\/h4>\n\n
Exercise #<\/strong>6 – Being mentally and physically fit (acitvate the parasympathetic nervous system): <\/h4>\n\n
Exercise #<\/strong>7 – Stressmanagement: <\/h4>\n\n
Your Personal Online Coaching and Mental Training<\/h2>\n\n